Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
by BubblyShell22
Summary: When Aubree is captured by the Foot, Leonardo decides that it's too dangerous for them to have a relationship and breaks up with her. Response to a challenge from Stealthy Stories.


Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

A/N: This is a response to the "It's Not You, It's Me" challenge from Stealthy Stories. I wasn't sure it I was going to do it, but the bunny hit, and now I'm writing it down. I decided to use Leo and Aubree for my couple. I was going to wait until their relationship was started in Hide and Seek, but this bunny is biting me now, and I have to get it done before I lose it. So, here it is. Note that this is just something that COULD happen between them but not necessarily what will happen in my other stories concerning them. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They are owned by Nickelodeon. I do own Aubree Hennigan and the plot of the story. That's it.

Why do I get into these scrapes? I thought to myself as I came to. As I blinked I began to take in my surroundings. I was in a room with gray walls and no windows, which pretty much indicated that I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I tried to move my hands to run them through my hair, but they were tied down. Great. Now, I couldn't even make sure I was presentable enough for my captors. I was actually tied to a chair, which seemed to be a pretty lame approach. Why couldn't I have been strapped down to a table like some death row inmate? Why did they have to go to the old movie standby of having the girl strapped to the chair?

I couldn't believe I'd even gotten in this mess. I had been walking in Central Park at night just trying to wind down after a busy day. I often liked to take a stroll in the Park and just take in the sights. It was even better at night, and I was usually home before the weirdos came out to play. But as I was strolling along and minding my own business, I suddenly felt a prick in my neck. I felt around and pulled out some sort of dart. Okay, now who would be so cunning as to dart me? Before I could even make sense of that, the dart took effect, and I pretty much passed out.

And now, here I was strapped to a chair with no way out. Just what I always wanted. My purse and everything in it were gone too. Was this the work of some rebel gang? Why didn't they just take my stuff and leave me there? As if on cue, I heard footsteps coming closer and the door to my cell opened. A Foot Ninja came in and looked surprised to see me awake.

"Ah, you have awakened," he said. "Good. I have already sent a message to the Turtles telling them you are here. Hopefully, they will be here soon."

Okay, so the Foot had taken me to trap the Turtles? Yeah, as if that was going to happen. The Turtles could handle themselves against the Foot.

"So, why did you decide to use me as bait?" I asked him, trying to start a conversation.

"Because you are dear to the freaks," he said. "You are special to them and are a good source of bait."

"So, why not use April, Casey, or even Splinter?" I inquired. "They're pretty special to the Turtles, too."

"Yes, but they are not worth capturing," the Foot Ninja replied. "You are as you are special to one of them. I have seen you with the one called Leonardo. You have a special kinship with him."

"Yeah, we're just friends," I reminded him. We were more than that, but I wasn't about to let this guy know that.

He laughed. "Do you take me for a fool?" he asked me. "I have been watching you for some time. I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. You are far more than just friends."

Shit, he'd been stalking us? I would have to tell Leo about that after he got me out of here. That is, if he got me out of here.

"So, once the Turtles get here, what do you plan to do?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as calm as I could. I was scared to death about what I'd just heard. It looked like our relationship was really out in the open now.

"We plan on destroying them of course," he responded. "And then we plan on destroying you as well."

"What did I do to you?" I asked, offended that he would even think of killing me.

"You are in league with them," he said. "Therefore, you are an enemy as well."

"Nice to know I'm so popular with the Foot these days," I joked.

"It is no laughing matter, Miss Hennigan," he replied. "You should take this more seriously than what you are."

Before I could retort, the door burst open, and the Turtles came in, weapons at the ready. They were pursued by a group of Foot Ninjas who seemed to have gotten there a little too late.

"Hey, nice to see you guys," I said. "Do you mind getting me out of here?"

"Just a second, Aubree," Leo said. "We have to deal with these guys first."

So I sat in my chair while the Turtles dealt with the Foot. While I had seen them fight in practice, I had to marvel at how deadly they were. I watched Donatello's bo smack a Ninja in the back of the skull and knock him out. I saw Michelangelo's nunchucks whirl so fast they were a blur and strike any enemy they came in contact with. I gazed in awe as Raphael's sais flashed in the light and stabbed a Ninja right in the heart. I almost lost my lunch as Leonardo decapitated a Foot Ninja with a swipe of his katanas.

I tried to escape by myself, but I couldn't. I was beginning to get impatient as I watched the Turtles fight with the Foot. When the hell were they going to let me out? I wanted to kick these guys' asses, too. Then after Leo dispatched of a Ninja I felt him behind me.

"Hold still, Aubree," he said as he got ready to cut my bonds.

"Leo, are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked him.

"I'm sure," he replied. "Just hold still." And with a swipe of his katana, I felt the bonds break, and I was free. He took my hand and led me out of the room. One of the Ninjas tried to stop us, but I punched him in the face so hard, he was knocked out. I could hear the others following us as we exited the building and headed for the rooftops. Don had let off a few smoke bombs to distract the Foot Ninjas, and I could smell the distinct odor they gave off.

When we were safely away from the building, the Turtles stopped to rest. Leo set me down and I tried to get my bearings before I collapsed.

"Wait, where's my stuff?" I asked them.

"I've got it," Don said and handed me my purse. I rifled through it and found that everything was there.

"Whew! That was a close one," Mikey said as he wiped sweat off his forehead. "You okay, Aub?"

"I'm fine, Mikey," I replied. "Thanks for saving me."

"No problem," he said. "It's the least we can do."

"Who do the Foot think they are tryin' to take advantage of you like that?" Raph stormed. "It ain't right."

"I guess they just wanted to make a statement," I replied.

Leo was silent, his shoulders tense. I could tell something was bothering him, though I didn't know what it was.

"Leo, are you okay?" I asked.

"Guys, I want to speak with Aubree alone," he replied.

The other three Turtles exchanged glances at those words then looked at me. I could see the question in their eyes. Why would Leo want to talk to me alone?

"Okay, Leo, we'll see you at the Lair," Don said. "See you later, Aubree."

"Yeah, see you, Aubree," Mikey added. "I'll see you on movie night."

"See you later, Aub," Raph said.

"'Bye, guys," I replied as I watched them leave. Then I turned to Leo who still had his back to me. What was going on?

"Aubree, what the shell were you thinking?" he began.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "I was just out for a walk. I always walk in Central Park at night. I had no idea the Foot were even there."

"And you should have known," he chastised. "You really need to pay attention to your surroundings, Aubree. It was your naivete that got you captured tonight."

"I always pay attention to my surroundings," I retorted. "The Foot darted me from behind before I could even blink. I'm not a ninja, Leo. I'm just a cop. It's not my fault that you have so many enemies. The Foot were stalking me and have been for a long time. They know about us, Leo. They know that we're a couple. I was talking to one of them, and he told me what they'd been doing and how they found me."

Leo sighed as I finished talking. "Then I guess we can't be together anymore," he said softly.

I felt the breath leave me as I processed his words. "What are you saying?" I asked him.

"I'm saying we can no longer be together," he replied. "There are too many risks, Aubree. I can't afford to lose you."

"So, you're breaking up with me?" I asked. "I thought you loved me."

"I do love you," Leo replied. "It's because of my love for you that we can't be together. The Foot know about our relationship and have already used it once. The next time they may just kill you and leave your body for us to see. I can't let you die, Aubree. That's why we have to end this."

Some part of me wanted to fight him and say, "No, we don't have to end this, Leo. To hell with the Foot and the other enemies. I love you, Hamato Leonardo, and I don't care what anyone else says. We're meant to be together." But the rational part of me knew he was right. It was never going to end if we kept seeing each other. I would constantly be in danger as long as I continued to see him.

I sighed. "I guess you're right," I whispered. "But I just want to say that no matter what, I will always love you, Hamato Leonardo. You have treated me better than any humans I have ever dated, and I will never forget that. We may not be able to kiss or touch again, but I will always love you as long as I live."

"I know that, Aubree," he whispered back. "And I will always love you. Before I met you, I never really thought love was possible for any of us. But after I got to know you, my feelings for you changed and opened up a world I never thought would exist for me. You have been able to look past my appearance and see me as someone who is worth fighting for. No matter what, I will always fight for you and will continue to love you even if we can't be together. Please don't judge me too harshly for my decision. I'm doing it for your safety and your protection."

"I know that, Leo," I said. "I understand. At least we can still be friends, right?"

"Sure," he said. "We can still be friends and hang out. I have no problem with that."

"Good," I replied. "I'm glad we at least have that."

"Do you want me to escort you home?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, that would be great," I answered. My heart was aching at the thought that we'd never be together again, but I knew that it was for the best. I couldn't fault Leo for wanting to protect me even if it meant we couldn't be a couple. It was very brave and noble of him to do that.

When we reached my apartment, Leo paused on the fire escape and looked at me. My lips tingled in anticipation of a kiss, but he kissed my cheek instead. My lips ached at the thought that his lips would never touch them again.

"Goodbye, Aubree," he said. "I'll have Mikey remind you about the movie night. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will," I promised him. "See you later." I leaned over and kissed his cheek so that he'd have something to remember me by.

He smiled and then turned and left. As I watched him leap over the rooftops, the tears poured from my eyes. Never again would he hold me in his arms. Never again would he kiss me with those wonderful lips. Never again would he lie in my bed and touch my human skin. I knew that friendship wasn't enough for me. Yes, I was willing to have it now, but I knew that in the long run it would never be enough. I would never love anyone the way I loved Leonardo. I would never date anyone or marry anyone if I couldn't have him. It just wasn't possible for me to move on. Leo was one of a kind, and I just would never let him go. I just didn't have the strength to do it.

I went to bed without even putting on my pajamas. Nothing mattered now that the love of my life had been ripped from me. This was all the Foot's fault, and I would make sure they'd pay for taking away my Leonardo. If I had to, I'd kill every last one of them for the pain they had caused me. Maybe I would take down all the other enemies, too, so that Leo and I could be together. Smiling at the thought of what Leo would think of my plan, I drifted off to sleep, vowing that tomorrow would be a new day.

A/N: So, what did you think? I hope it wasn't too cheesy or anything. Once again, this is just a scenario of what could possibly happen within Leo's and Aubree's relationship. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.


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